Meet the queen bees of burlesque—an exclusive first look at Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly
Collectively, we nightlife writers get some pretty sweet invitations—parties, bashes, blowouts and even the occasional fete. But when club-owner Ivan Kane extends an invite to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his new burlesque show, even though the rehearsals start at 10 a.m., we are so there. Through August 23 locals can catch free Thursday previews of Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly, the LA transplant rock ’n’ roll burlesque show featuring nine dancers, up to five at a time. The ladies, veterans of Toni Braxton: Revealed, Fashionistas and Sirens of TI, will perform two different 20-minute routines at Meet the queen bees of burlesque—an exclusive first look at Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly midnight and 2 a.m. every Thursday. Choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance finalist Tovaris Wilson, the acts are backed by a live band putting drum, bass and guitar lines behind original recorded lyrics, the final product being a sort of “reverse karaoke,” as Kane’s wife, Champagne Suzy, puts it. Rock standards like Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” and The Police’s “Roxanne” will have the girls literally coming out of the ceiling, hanging from the rafters and even doing a reverse striptease. “We Vegas-ized it,” says Kane, who added a new brass stripper pole and catwalk to the club just for Thursday’s shows. “The term ‘up close and personal’ definitely applies. It’s definitely organic to Forty Deuce; it’s still a live burlesque show,” says Kane. “But all with a rock sensibility,” Suzy adds. But don’t worry, the performances feature all the peeling and squealing Forty Deuce fans have come to expect. “We wanted it to feel like a stadium show. But in a closet.” Royal Jelly, named, Kane says, for the purported aphrodisiac qualities of the queen bee’s ambrosia, launches on August 30.
Something for the ladies—an exclusive first look at Blush
At long last—and after many, many possibilities—the tiny lounge and nightclub formerly known as Lure has a new name to go with its new owner: Blush. Designed by Wynn’s Executive Vice President of Design Roger Thomas, and presided over by Managing Partner Sean Christie, Blush will reopen on Friday, August 31 with a brand new look and a fresh new sound. A rich palette of deep green, chocolate brown, gold and shimmering metallics aims to create an ambiance of sensual elegance. Blush features a lit onyx dance floor and crème lantern ceiling sculpture as a focal point. Additional contemporary art pieces contribute a provocative and edgy feel. Banquettes around a new dance floor create circular flow where there once were 90-degree angles. The popular open-air patio lives on, enhanced by lighted topiaries, seating and lush foliage. The VIP area is once again separated from the main room, this time with drapes, and is available for up to 25 people. Additional restrooms have been added, as well as some other “playful amenities,” such as purse drawers at each seat and personal lockers for belongings. Christie, a former managing partner of Jet Nightclub and currently the head of his own Spectrum lifestyle-marketing group, has assembled a managing team including several fellow Light Group alumni, as well as GM David Bodzin of Mix. The club opens nightly at 5 p.m., with a relaxing lounge setting as set by music director and resident DJ Mighty Mi, and the energy picks up Thursday through Saturday and on Blush Tuesdays industry night (beginning September 4) from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. So why Blush? “The whole idea when naming the club was to have it geared toward women,” says Christie. “The most important thing in a nightclub is the women in it.” Quite right!
Adventures in mixology
The second annual 42 Below World Cocktail Cup bartending competition challenged our city’s best bartenders to prove they have the charisma, showmanship and, most importantly, the bartending skills to be in the running for the title of the best bartender on the planet. The Las Vegas portion of the global competition was held Sunday, July 15 inside of the Hard Rock Hotel, and aimed to put each of the contenders’ best creations to the absolute test as celebrity judges Jeff Beacher, racecar driver Matt Halliday and “Wee” Matt McCarthy of Beacher’s Madhouse carefully judged specialty drinks with names ranging from A Bloody Mess to Fast Eddie’s 42 KHEWL. After the arduous task of narrowing the field, the finalists were finally announced this week. The top three bartenders—Anthony Alba (Rio), Brian Mongeon (Boa Steakhouse) and Eddie Perales (Rio)—were chosen to help represent Team USA during an all-expense-paid trip to 42 Below’s hometown of Queenstown, New Zealand, in September to compete with teams from 16 other nations. And in order to be considered the best bartender in the world, each of the bartenders will be required to successfully pour drinks while bungee jumping, zooming down a river and dangling out of a helicopter 200 feet above the ground. Of course, in such extreme bartending conditions, a few spills are expected, and the goal is merely to get as much of the mix into the cup as possible. But hey, if that doesn’t prove one’s bar skills, we don’t know what does!
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JUST SAY NO TO CRACKBERRY
"Tobunighto drun with light groupk"
-A text from Weekly contributing writer Jack Colton Monday night at Jet's new 3400 room. Polite translation. "It's Steven Lockwood's birthday, and I'm getting hammered."